Preceded by ALWAYS ON SUNDAY (1962, dir. Connie B. Demille of the Gay Girls Riding Club / USA, 10 min. In English / Format: Digital) and STORMÉ: THE LADY OF THE JEWEL BOX (1987, dir. Michelle Parkerson / USA, 21 min. In English / Format: Digital).

“PARIS IS BURNING is wildly entertaining, deeply humanitarian and fundamentally educational.” - Katie Walsh, Lost Angeles Times

“As much a movie about class, race, and sexual orientation as anything you've ever seen, PARIS IS BURNING is deceptively simple on its surface, but by the end you'll find yourself devastated by its take on the American dream.” - Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle

August 24 & 28 | Livingston’s acclaimed document of NYC’s Ballroom scene in the 80s remains a powerful portrait of community and resilience among queer and trans people of color, while continuing to provoke questions around equity and representation amid unresolved social inequalities. Preceded by ALWAYS ON SUNDAY (1962, dir. Connie B. Demille of the Gay Girls Riding Club / USA, 10 min. In English / Format: Digital, preserved by UCLA Film & Television Archive), a gender-bending nod to the Jules Dassin international hit; and STORMÉ: THE LADY OF THE JEWEL BOX (1987, dir. Michelle Parkerson / USA, 21 min. In English / Format: Digital), the vital tale of legendary performer and activist Stormé DeLarverie, set against the U.S.’ first racially integrated drag show.


Pioneers of Queer Cinema Series: In partnership with the UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Gene Siskel Film Center presents differing, often radical explorations of sexual orientation and gender identity. Pioneers of Queer Cinema introduces and reacquaints audiences with landmark queer works and their makers, while inspiring new conversations and renewed action surrounding the complex obstacles LGBTQ+ communities continue to face. View full series here.


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